NAZ Aqua Mania in-water boat show splashes into Weirs Beach this weekend

LACONIA — With a view of Paugus Bay and the Weirs Channel acting as a backdrop, the NAZ AquaMania is a fun way to see the different ways to have fun on the water this summer.

The three-day, in-water boat show — the largest on Lake Winnipesaukee — continues today, from noon to 7 p.m. and tomorrow from noon to 6 p.m. at the Naswa Resort, 1086 Weirs Boulevard in Weirs Beach.

“We do it to get people excited about the upcoming boating season,” said Cynthia Makris, the Naswa’s general manager.

Now in its fifth year, AquaMania is the brainchild of Makris and Jeffrey Levitan of Northeast Radio Group, which remains a partner in the event that is geared to the lake-loving crowd that is looking for a way to enjoy this not-quite-yet-summer weekend.

The docks and beach at the NazBar will be filled with new boats and water toys for guests to see.

Four marinas – Irwin Marine, Paugus Bay, Silver Sands, and East Coast Flightcraft – will each have four of their new boats on display. HK Powersports will have a new jet ski, and Watermark will have a boat lift along with other dock accessories and boating supplies on display. Other vendors will include VanWorks, which does custom audio and upholstery for boats, and Anchor Marine which rents boats on Lake Winnipesaukee.

"It's a great way to view boats without the sales pressure,” Makris said. “There are people who come to this event who would never go into a marina showroom.”

Makris said there will also be food and drink specials at the NazBar. In addition, those attending will have the opportunity to enter a raffle for a five-day Caribbean vacation, including airfare, being given away by Mix 94.1 FM, one of Northeast Radio Group’s stations.

Bruce Wright, general manager of Irwin Marine, said the Naswa and NazBar is a great venue for an in-water display.

“They have a pretty vibrant scene there,” he said.

Irwin’s will have two Monterey bowrider boats, plus a luxury Berkshire pontoon boat, and a 21-foot Yamaha jet boat on display.

“It’s a good opportunity to get our product out in front of the broader public that might not come into our showroom,“ Wright said.

Wright agreed with Makris that AquaMania is a casual, more relaxed way to look up-close at different types of boats as well as boating and waterfront accessories.

”It’s not a high-pressure-selling show,” he said. “But we will have a representative there on the dock to answer any questions that people might have.” AquaMania “feeds traffic to our showroom and brings them through the door,” Wright added.

That laid-back atmosphere is one of the reasons that HK Powersports has been a participant year after year.

“It’s a laid-back setting where people can also eat and enjoy music,” said Lisa Whalley, manager of HK Powersports, which will have new Sea-Doo, and Yamaha WaveRunner personal watercraft on display.

The event also helps to generate business on what might otherwise be a slow weekend, Whalley noted.

“It brings businesses together when there might not be so much activity,” she said.

Makris, the third generation of her family to operate the Naswa, said that AquaMania — coming right after Memorial Day weekend and before the summer season begins in earnest, — is a way to “get people excited about the boating season on Lake Winnipesaukee.”

Based on the turnout of prior years, Makris expects thousands of people to come to the event.